Snow melting apparatus



Sept. 4, 1951 B. s. WILSON snow MELTING APPARATUS 2' Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 6, 1950 m m W 5 m m. B

INVENI'DR. Q03. 55%; 15. m

Sept. 4, 1951 B. s. WILSON SNOW MELTING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 6, 1950 m mtm flN M n w e B .wm QM.

Patented Sept. 4, 1951 r OFFICE SNOW MELTING APPARATUS A y H Benjamin s. Wilson,'Akron, Ohio 7 Application February 6, 1950, Serial No. 1'42,662

, 1 This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in apparatusfor removing snow, and the principal object of the invention is to facilitate convenient and expeditious removalof snow by the process of melting.

Inparticular, the invention concerns itself with the provision of snow melting means carried-by a vehicle such as a truck, a locomotive, or the like, an important feature of the invention residing in the provision of a flame throwing unit mounted at the front of the vehicle, together with means carried by the vehicle for delivering fuel under pressure to the flame throwing unit. Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of means for raising and lowering the flame throwing unit relative to the ground, while a still further feature lies in the structural arrangement of the flame throwing unit per se,

this including means for pre-heating a conduit carrying fuel to flame throwing nozzles, whereby substantial operating efliciency and snow melting ability are achieved.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity of construction, in its efficient operation as aforesaid, and in its adaptability for use in associationwith vehicles of different types.

- With the above more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of the invention installed on a vehicle, for example, a truck;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 3-3 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the flame throwing unit, this view being taken substantially in the plane of the line 4-4 in Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the flame throwing unit, taken substantially in the plane of the line 5-5 in Figure 4.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the general reference character Ill designates a conventional vehicle, such as for rolaim. (c1. meg-21112) example, a truck, or the like, the same having a platform I21 on which is mounted a fuel tank I having an outlet pipe [6 connected to a suitable pump [8 driven by a motor 20. The latter as well as the pump |8 may be mounted. on the platform l2 together with the tank l4, and the outlet pipe [6 may be provided with a shut-off valve 22 for obvious reasons. The outlet of the pump l8, in turn, is connected by a pipe 24 to a manifold 26 having a plurality of shut-off valves 28, 3B, 32 and 34 thereon, and flexible fuel hoses or lines 36, 38, 30 and 42 are connected to the respective shut-off valves, as is clearly shown in Figure l. i

It is to be noted that a by-pass M extends from the pipe 24 to the tank l4 and is equipped with a control valve 46, so that the pump it may feed back to the tank 14 in the event the valves 28-44 inclusive ,are party or, fully closed. In addition, a shut-off valve 48 may be provided on the pipe 24 if so desired.

The several fuel lines or hoses 36-42 inclusive are connected'to a flame throwing unit which is designated generally by the reference character 50 and is mounted at the front end of the vehicle In, such as forexample, on the usual front bumper bar 52. This may be achieved by securing to the bumper bar a pair of longitudinally spaced clamps 54 which have pivotally connected thereto as at 56 a pair of upwardly and downwardly swingable members 58 clamped on a horizontally elongated, substantially cylindrical jacket 60 constituting a component of the flame throwing unit 50.

Upward extensions 62 are rigidly secured to the brackets 54 (see Figure 3) and provide bearings for a transverse shaft 64 carrying a pair of cranks 66 which, in turn, are pivotally connected by links 88 to the members 58. An additional crank 10 is secured to the shaft 64 and is operatively connected by a rod 12 to a control lever 14 in the cab of the vehicle l0, it being apparent from the foregoing that by simply manipulating this lever, the entire flame throwing unit 50 may be raised or lowered with respect to the ground.

The aforementioned jacket 60 of the unit 50 is provided at the opposite ends thereof with a pair of caps 16 and a tubular fuel conduit 18 is supported by these caps and extends longitudinally in the jacket 60 but is spaced therefrom so as to afford what may be referred to as an annular pre-heating chamber 80. The end portions of the conduit 18 project outwardly from the caps 16 and are provided with suitable nipples 82 for connection to the aforementioned fuel hoses36, 42, whereby fuel may be delivered from the tank 14 under pressure of the pump l8 into the conduit 18. A row of longitudinally spaced flame throwing nozzles 84 are provided on and communicate with the interior of the conduit 78, it'being noted that the nozzles radiate outwardly from the conduit in the chamber 80 and project outwardly from the jacket 60, substantially as shown. It will also benoted that by simply manipulating the control lever I4, the entire unit 50 may be lowered or raised so as to properly direct the flame throwing nozzles 84 on the snow which is to be melted.

In order to assure the utmost operating efficiency of the flame throwing and snow melting 4 control shaft ll2 connected to the joints 99 of the two units, which shaft, in turn, is operatively connected by a rod 1 I4 to a second control lever H6 in the cab of the vehicle.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be readily apparent from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unn ce sa While in the'foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combinaoperation, a pair of pre-heating; nozzles 86 are provided in the opposite end portions of the chamber 80, these pre-heating nozzles "being equipped with suitable nipples 88 which extend outwardly from the respective caps 16 for connection to the fuel hoses 38, '40. By virtue of :the pre-heating nozzles 86 the temperature in the chamber 89 will be substantially raised and the fuel in the conduit 18 will become considerably heated in readiness for efiici'ent subsequent fiame throwing operation from the nozzle's 84.

A plurality of air apertures or openings 90 are provided in the opposite end portions of .the jacket 60 so as to facilitate admittance of air to support combustion at the nozzles 86 :and'also, so as to facilitate a discharge ofprodnets of combustion from the chamber 80.

I If desired two auxiliary flame throwing units 92 may be installed at opposite sides of the vehicle forwardly of the rear wheels 94, sov as "to fully melt any snow or ice such as may remain on the ground after the unit 50 passes thereo'ver and thereby assure proper traction of the rear wheels.

7 Each of the auxiliary units 92 consists of :a flame throwing nozzle 96' adjustably connected by a swivel joint 98 to a sleeve I00, the latter being positioned upon'a horizontal rod I02 carried by a bracket 19 i secured to the vehicle frame.

The two nozzles 96 receive their fuel supply through the medium of flexible hoses 106, I08

which are joined together and are connected to a valve H9 on the manifold 26. Oscillation of the nozzles 96 may be effected by atransverse tionjiand arrangement of parts may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit and scope of the-invention as claimed.

a row of longitudinally spaced flame throwing nozzles provided on said conduit and extending radially through said chamber to projectoutwardly from said jacket, and means for delivering fuel under pressure to said conduit and to said pre-heating nozzles. I

BENJAMIN S. WILSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: r

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 851,011 Lamb, ADI. 23, 1907 859,356 Wilson July 9, 1907 1,312,934 Wheelock 1- Au .,12, 1919 1,373,257 Neumann 1.1-..- Mar 29, 1921 1,711,965 Pratt May 7;, 1929 1,925,164 Woolery Sept. 5,1933

1,940,170 Howery, et'al. an Dec. 19, 193.3 7

Kittel, .et a1. "1..." Dec: 28, 1943 

